Three players that Team USA should holdover from FIBA to Olympics ft. Anthony Edwards
The FIBA World Cup concluded with Team USA finishing fourth place after becoming the favorites to win it all. With the Paris Olympics set to take place in 2024, the Americans are expected to field their best players.
While there is a buzz that LeBron James at 38 years old is taking the initiative to assemble the best possible USA roster, the 2023 FIBA World Cup team has some players that they can bring along after performing well in the tournament.
Here are three players from Team USA's 2023 FIBA World Cup that Sportskeeda thinks should be given consideration for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
#1 Anthony Edwards - Team USA's top finisher
There is no question that Anthony Edwards should be considered for Team USA for the 2024 Olympics. He clearly showed that he can score at will in international competitions and is also willing to step back if others have the hot hand.
The Minnesota Timberwolves guard was the USA's top scorer with 18.9 points per game while also providing 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. It will be interesting to see how Edwards will fare in the 2024 Olympics, especially when he is surrounded by players more skilled than he is.
#2 Mikal Bridges - the best shooter in Team USA
The third-best scorer for the USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets averaged 13.8 points and shot 55.6% from beyond the three-point line. He is clearly the best shooter on the team and also brings defense into the system averaging 1.4 steals per game.
More than the scoring punch Bridges provides, the clutch plays that he did against Canada showed that he can be a vital cog in the fourth quarter and finish the game stronger.
#3 Austin Reaves - Team USA's best role player
Not an All-Star but has been arguably the best role player that you can find right now in the NBA. Austin Reaves is the second-best scoring option for the Americans at the FIBA World Cup doing 13.8 points per game in eight games he played.
In a USA team that is expected to be stacked with superstars, "Hillbilly Kobe" is a player who will not have difficulty accepting any role given to him. Besides, if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to play in the Paris Olympics, why not bring a teammate that they are already familiar with?
Given that the USA could not end up winning all in the FIBA WC, the likes of big names are expected to defend their gold medal in the upcoming Olympics competition.